Rosalind Mary “Tuppy” Owens, the sexual health activist and campaigner, passed away from vascular dementia on 28 February.
Owens was a true pioneer – some might say a “disruptor” – starting the Outsiders Club in 1979, a private membership club for socially and physically disabled people, providing peer support, friendship and dating. She was also one of the first to address safe sex during the 1980s, publishing visual instructions about how to put on a condom in The Safer Sex Maniac’s Diary.
Owens trained as a sex therapist in London during the 1980s, receiving her diploma in human sexuality in 1986. She set up the TLC Trust website, which gives disabled men and women access to information about how their bodies can enjoy pleasure, as well as a trusted resource for finding safe and responsible sexual services.
Owens also founded SHADA, the Sexual Health and Disability Alliance, which brings together health professionals with a focus on sex and disability. In addition, she worked on the design of disability-friendly sex toys and was a tireless campaigner for the rights of sex workers.
A revolutionary figure in the sexual health and equality sphere, Owens’s work will continue to have an impact on many generations to come. Her autobiography, which she completed following her dementia diagnosis, The Sex Lady on the Hill: The Extraordinary Legacy of Dr Tuppy Owens, was published last year.
